Hawley's office said they began investigating these problems at the Clinton-Peabody housing complex earlier this year.

The lawsuit claims the Housing Authority and its property manager, McCormack Baron, have had notice of these issues through both tenant complaints and media stories. It accuses both the complex and Baron of violating the Missouri Merchandising Practices Act as well as maintaining a public nuisance.

“No Missourian should be forced to come home to the intolerable conditions that Clinton-Peabody residents face each day,” Hawley said in a press release. “Missouri law gives tenants the right to live in a safe and properly maintained home, and I am committed to ensuring that this vital right is vindicated.”